Sovereign of the Ashes

Chapter 1846: A Tough Struggle

Sein had been exhausted lately.

For some reason, the war across the surrounding star domains had taken a sharp turn for the worse several decades ago.

He had heard that on the frontlines, the Gallant Federation had launched a full-scale counteroffensive against the Magus Civilization’s main legions.

The situation on the central battlefield was far from promising.

As the pressure on the frontlines mounted, its negative effects gradually spread outward, reaching even the peripheral war zones where Sein and the others were.

Having just returned from a mission in the Trimmis Star Domain, Sein was now heading toward the Wich Star Domain, where Feylis, Lorianne, and the others were stationed.

After decades, perhaps even a century, of shifting fronts, Sein and his legions were no longer fighting near the Arid Expanse Worlds.

As expected, Grandmaster Feylis had no intention of going to the Grand Apocalypse World.

In fact, after the war in that medium-sized star domain, more than seventy percent of the Magus Civilization’s forces that had once gathered there had dispersed to other battlefields.

Now, only about one-third of the legions remained along the borders of the Arid Expanse Worlds. Most of them were from the Rosen Dynasty, and they appeared to be preparing for an advance toward the Grand Apocalypse World.

After parting ways with several Rosen Dynasty powerhouses he knew well, Sein left that war zone alongside his grandmaster.

Many alliance legions also withdrew from that region, including Celloza, a powerhouse from Planet Norvex.

Celloza had left a deep impression on Sein.

If he had to describe him, “a peak-tier powerhouse just below the overlord level” would be the most fitting.

Where Celloza and others of his caliber would be deployed next in this Clash of Civilizations remained uncertain.

Not long after leaving the Trimmis Star Domain, Sein encountered a fleet of Gallant Federation patrollers.

A clash was inevitable.

The fleet was not particularly strong, but lingering too long risked drawing in reinforcements from nearby federal fleets.

After destroying several destroyers and frigates, Sein broke away under a barrage of energy beams from the patrollers, slipping into the depths of space.

Only after returning to the territory of the Wich Star Domain did he finally let out a breath of relief.

This was a star domain under the control of the Magus Civilization, and for the time being, the Gallant Federation’s fleets were unlikely to pursue them this far.

The Wich Star Domain was relatively small, containing only five complete planes, along with around twenty or so demiplanes and broken planes.

In addition to the Verdant Flame Faction, the region was also garrisoned by a knight legion led by more than ten law-wielding knights.

Altogether, their strength was still quite formidable.

“What’s the situation in the Trimmis Star Domain?” Feylis asked after meeting him.

“It has suffered a massive counteroffensive from the Gallant Federation’s main forces. Nearly two-thirds of the entire star domain has already been retaken. Our legions have been pushed back to a corner of the star domain and are currently preparing for a counterattack,” Sein replied.

“I also met with a Rank Six mage named Gwinther. He hopes you can lead your forces from the Wich Star Domain to provide support against the Gallant Federation fleets,” he added.

Gwinther was actually a peak Rank Six mage, just like Feylis, though he had reached that level much earlier and held a somewhat greater reputation within certain social circles of Magus World.

The situation in the Trimmis Star Domain was extremely complex. It lay on the border of the Gallant Federation’s home territory.

In other words, pushing into the Trimmis Star Domain was effectively the same as striking at the federation’s home territory itself.

Over the past several centuries, the Magus Civilization had nearly taken control of the entire region.

A vast number of the Gallant Federation’s life-bearing and resource planets had fallen into their hands.

But in recent decades, the federation’s fierce counteroffensive had steadily turned the tide, allowing them to reclaim much of the star domain.

The Trimmis Star Domain was immense, spanning an area roughly three times the size of the Arid Expanse Worlds.

Although no overlord-level federal fleets had appeared there yet, the use of apocalyptical weapons had become increasingly common.

Just before leaving, Sein witnessed one such weapon, the “Crimson Lightwave”, being unleashed directly against the Magus Civilization’s vanguard forces.

Under its devastating force, countless Magus Civilization war platforms were thrown off course, many spiraling out of control and crashing into nearby worlds.

The most unfortunate were the enslaved creature legions used as cannon fodder.

With almost no means of defense, they were instantly reduced to pools of blood under this apocalyptical weapon’s attack.

Even demigod-level enslaved creatures could not escape such a fate.

Survival was possible for those of Rank Four and above, only if they stayed at the very edge of the apocalyptic weapon’s range.

Such was the cruelty of the Clash of Civilizations.

Even though Sein had already reached Rank Five and possessed several powerful trump cards and treasures, he still felt no real sense of security in a war of this scale.

After reporting on the situation in the Trimmis Star Domain, Feylis gave him a slight nod, signaling that he could take some time to rest.

With the overall situation growing more difficult, Feylis had no choice but to act with extreme caution in every decision she made.

As for whether to send reinforcements to the Trimmis Star Domain, she would need to weigh the matter carefully and consult with others first.

“Lorianne recently developed a new body-tempering potion,” Feylis added with a faint smile before Sein left. “I heard it’s particularly effective for strengthening your demonic form. You should visit her later.”

“Yes, Grandmaster,” Sein replied respectfully.

***

Back at Ashen Fortress, Sein finally felt more at ease than he had at his grandmaster’s place.

Everything here was familiar to him.

It was a place where he could truly relax.

He found himself thinking back to his last conversation with Marie about whether they should replace Ashen Fortress with a newer, more powerful space fortress.

Both of them felt a faint reluctance to let this one go.

Then again, it was not something he needed to worry about anytime soon.

Given the current state of the war, the chances of returning to Magus World for rest were practically nonexistent. That was likely out of the question for the next two or three hundred years.

Jessica’s breakthrough to Rank Four had come at just the right time.

Sein remembered that not long after he sent her back to the rear territories through the teleportation array, the surrounding star domains had descended into chaos within a matter of years.

Now that she had been back in Magus World for some time, he wondered whether she had already established her own divine tower in Ashenreach.

Lately, Sein had been buried under a constant stream of high-priority missions, leaving him no chance to contact her.

He had once promised to buy Jessica a space fortress as a reward for her years of cooperation in his research on the power of emotions.

Returning to his laboratory within the fortress, Sein glanced at the fox maiden who stepped forward to help him change out of his robes and asked, “Have Tourmaline and the others already left?”

“Yes,” Azelia replied. “I heard a Rank Five knight personally brought a space fortress to escort them to the Mordora Star Domain.”